Baked Stuffed Shells with Radicchio and Sausage
- Makes6 servings
- Cook Time1¾ hours
- Active time plus coolingplus cooling
- 1
Radicchio, a red and white member of the chicory family, is a favorite vegetable in the Veneto region of Italy. In her kitchen in Treviso, home cook Alessandra Bianchi showed us how to make conchiglie ripiene con radicchio al forno. She stuffed parcooked pasta shells with a filling of radicchio sautéed with shallots before covering them with besciamella (the Italian version of French béchamel) and baking them until browned and bubbly. In our version, we include a little Italian sausage in the filling to make the dish rich and satisfying enough to be a main. Be sure to use jumbo shells for this recipe, boil them until they’re just shy of al dente (they will finish cooking in the oven) and drizzle them with a little oil after draining to prevent them from sticking together.
Don’t worry if the stuffed shells don’t look perfect when they’re placed in the baking dish. Under the besciamella and cheeses and after baking, their appearance won’t matter.
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine the sausage with ⅓ cup water. Stir with a fork until well combined. In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and shallot; cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into small pieces, until the sausage is no longer pink and begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the radicchio and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the radicchio is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; reserve the pot. Stir half of the Parmesan into the mixture, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
In the now-empty pot over high, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain; set aside. Drizzle the shells with 1 tablespoon oil and toss gently to coat. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle position.
Step 4
In a medium saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, then cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. While whisking, gradually add the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then reduce to low. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens, reduces slightly and no longer tastes of raw starch, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the reserved pasta water and ¼ cup of the remaining Parmesan.
Step 5
Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon the filling into the shells, dividing it evenly (generous 1 tablespoon each) and placing the shells filled side up in a single layer in the baking dish. Ladle the remaining besciamella evenly over the top; it’s fine if the shells peek through the sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the fontina and remaining Parmesan. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
